July 11, 2013

Fort Worth police looking at not filling vacancies next year, but no layoffs expected

Fort Worth Police are tentatively looking at not filling any vacant positions
next year in the search for citywide budget cuts, but no layoffs are
contemplated, Chief Jeff Halstead said.

“We are planning on the vacant officer positions not being filled...and
relying on attrituion to fill the next academy class,” Halstead said in an
interview.

The city had 76 officer vacancies as of Wednesday, and the number has ranged
between 68 and 83 in the last month, Halstead said.

The department’s civilian vacancies also would not be filled, as part of the
department’s 5 percent general fund budget cut being contemplated today,
Halstead said.

Early this year, with the department facing a $50 million general fund
shortfall for the next fiscal year, City Manager Tom Higgins asked all
department heads to submit lists of 10 percent across-the-board budget cuts for
review, Halstead said. For the police, that amounted to $19.9 million.

Budget projections have changed since then with improving revenues and other
factors, and virtually all departments are now being asked to shoulder 5 percent
cuts, Halstead said. The police submitted theirs two weeks ago, Halstead
said.

The city manager is expected to present the proposed 2014 budget to the City
Council in August.

Potential police cuts caused a stir earlier this week when Sgt. Steve Hall,
president of the Fort Worth Police Officer Association, told the City Council
that 148 officer positions “are in jeopardy” and such a cut would “negatively
impact the department’s ability to provide service.”

The police have nearly 1,600 officers.

Halstead said he didn’t know the basis for the POA’s 148 estimate, but said
it likely came from within the figures for the original 10 percent, “very, very
old information” that never went before the City Council, Halstead said.

“They have backed off,” Hall said in an interview. “Now they’re saying all
they want to cut is vacancies.”

Mayor Betsy Price said the City Council hasn’t yet seen a draft of the city
manager’s budget.

“We are committed at this point to not laying off any active officers,” she
said.

Price said she anticipates a recommendation to not fill police vacancies. The
department regularly runs a significant number and has struggled to keep up with
regular attrition of 60-70 officers annually.

The police typically run two academy classes per year, graduating 20-24
officers apiece, and is building a public safety training center that should
boost capacity to four recruiting classes per year.

“It’s hard for me to argue publicly we need every one of those” budgeted
vacancies, Halstead said. “We cannot process them fast enough.”

Hall, in his presentation, questioned Price’s security costs, given budget
cuts. The POA has had a rift with the mayor over the council’s major changes to
the employee pension last year.

Price, like predecessor Mike Moncrief, has a detail of two police officers.
Her office is asking for a third, given Price’s full schedule.

Hall questioned the mayor’s need for a police officer to travel with her
during international business trips, since the officers can’t carry firearms and
their presence is diminished by their plain clothes.

Lamers said, however, that Price has represented D/FW Airport on those trips,
most recently to Brazil, and the airport picks up expenses for the mayor and
police.

“The only thing that’s not paid for is the officer’s salary,” Lamers said.
“They would be working regardless.”

Hall said the city should consider shifting Price’s detail to the city
marshal’s office, a crew of 58 peace officers that reports to the Municipal
Court and serves minor warrants, transports prisoners, and handles city building
security.

“I have complete confidence in the city marshal’s office,” Hall said.

Halstead said it’s easier for the police to handle the mayor’s detail.

“Historically, police have always done this function, and marshals
historically have a distinctive mission to accomplish,” Halstead said. “It’s
easier to find the two within the 1,600 (police officers) than to find two
within the 58” marshals.